Palestine Action trial lawyer wins appeal against contempt of court charge

Rajiv Menon KC was accused of breaching judge’s directions with his closing speech at trial of six activists

A leading human rights barrister has won an appeal against his referral for contempt of court over his closing speech during a trial of Palestine Action activists.

Rajiv Menon KC was accused of breaching the judge’s directions in the trial of six people for a 2024 direct action protest at an arms factory of the Israeli subsidiary Elbit Systems UK in Filton, near Bristol.

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Israeli MPs back special tribunal with death penalty powers for alleged 7 October attackers

Knesset approves plan for livestreamed trials in military court, which has drawn comparisons to Eichmann trial

Israeli lawmakers have approved setting up a livestreamed special tribunal with the power to sentence to death Palestinians convicted of taking part in the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023 that triggered the war in Gaza.

The measure was passed by 93 votes to none in the 120-seat Knesset, Israel’s parliament, reflecting widespread support among Israel’s Jewish majority for punishing those found responsible for the deadliest single attack in Israel’s history. The remaining 27 lawmakers were absent or abstained from voting.

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MAGA-Curious CBS Boss’ Secret Battle With ‘60 Minutes’ Veteran Revealed – The Daily Beast

  1. MAGA-Curious CBS Boss’ Secret Battle With ‘60 Minutes’ Veteran Revealed  The Daily Beast
  2. The Major Trouble at '60'  status.news
  3. CBS News boss Bari Weiss blindsides Lesley Stahl over Netanyahu interview: report  New York Post
  4. Bari Weiss Handed ‘60 Minutes’ Netanyahu Interview to Major Garrett, Bypassing Show’s Efforts  Yahoo
  5. ’60 Minutes’ Tensions Rise as Lesley Stahl Is Reportedly Pushed Aside by Bari Weiss  The Rome News-Tribune
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Keir Starmer tells cabinet he is not resigning amid growing pressure to stand down – UK politics live

Cabinet ministers rally around PM after critical meeting where he said he would not quit without a leadership challenge

Here are some pictures from No 10 this morning.

Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the PM, is now being interviewed on the Today programme. Nick Robinson, the presenter, is asking him if he knows whether Keir Starmer has decided how to respond to the pressure on him to resign. Jones is avoiding the question, as he did on Sky News earlier. (See 7.43am.)

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Ukraine and U.S. move toward landmark drone defense deal as Iran war highlights capabilities, and necessities – CBS News

  1. Ukraine and U.S. move toward landmark drone defense deal as Iran war highlights capabilities, and necessities  CBS News
  2. Zelenskiy says some 20 countries interested in drone deals with Ukraine  Reuters
  3. What is the Ukrainian anti-drone system Sky Map being used in the Gulf?  Al Jazeera
  4. Volodymyr Zelensky: Ukraine signs four drone deals with 20 countries  The Jerusalem Post
  5. Visiting Bahrain, Zelensky offers to sign deal to share anti-drone expertise  The Times of Israel
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Starmer tells cabinet he will not quit without leadership challenge

Ministers rally around embattled leader, who says he will ‘get on with governing’ unless process for challenge is triggered

Keir Starmer has told his cabinet he will fight on as prime minister, saying the threshold for a leadership challenge has not been met, as ministers began to rally around the embattled leader.

The Guardian understands Starmer did not give cabinet critics time to respond, before moving the conversation on to the Middle East, and none called directly on him to resign during Tuesday’s meeting.

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French president announces billions in African investments at summit focused on partnership – AP News

  1. French president announces billions in African investments at summit focused on partnership  AP News
  2. Macron Makes a Bid for New Partners in Africa  The New York Times
  3. 'Total lack of respect': Macron interrupts speaker to ask for silence  BBC
  4. Macron takes the stage uninvited at Africa summit to scold crowd for 'total lack of respect'  Fox News
  5. After a decade of crises between France and its former colonies, Macron chooses Kenya for the last major African trip of his presidency  Le Monde.fr
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Aukus costs balloon with more cash and staff for submarine agency amid ongoing search for nuclear waste dump

Labor has announced funding for Australian Submarine Agency will jump to $512m in next financial year amid concerns the sovereign submarine fleet may never arrive

The budget for Australia’s contentious Aukus deal has ballooned by more than $430m over four years, with the agency charged with securing the country’s nuclear-powered submarines requiring a massive injection of funding and staffing.

The Australian Submarine Agency’s resourcing for next financial year will jump by a third – from $385m to $512m.

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US workers overwhelmingly support union-backed policies on AI, poll says

Nine out of 10 workers express support for policies on artificial intelligence that labor unions may fight for

US workers overwhelmingly support pro-worker policies on artificial intelligence (AI) and view labor unions as the most reliable protectors of workers from the effects of AI, according to a new poll released by the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of labor unions in the US.

More than nine out of 10 workers surveyed expressed support for policies on artificial intelligence that labor unions may fight for, including 95% supporting a requirement that a human be the final decision maker on any issues affecting individual workers and their employment.

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European ministers to discuss sending rejected asylum seekers to third-country hubs

Exclusive: Council of Europe to meet in Moldova on Friday, with human rights body expected to recognise countries’ right to control borders

European ministers will this week discuss plans to send thousands of rejected asylum seekers to third-country hubs, the head of the continent’s human rights body has told the Guardian.

Alain Berset, the secretary general of the Council of Europe, said discussions about the removal of people who arrived in Europe by irregular routes would take place “at a multilateral level” at a meeting in Moldova on Friday.

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WHO head tells countries to prepare for more hantavirus cases

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praises Spain’s ‘compassion and solidarity’ in evacuating virus-hit cruise ship

The head of the World Health Organization has warned countries to prepare for more hantavirus cases after the outbreak onboard the MV Hondius, and thanked Spain for the “compassion and solidarity” it had shown by taking in the stricken cruise ship and evacuating its passengers and crew.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to follow the WHO’s advice and recommendations, which include a 42-day quarantine and constant monitoring of high-risk contacts.

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More than 110 Nobel laureates call on Iran to release gravely ill activist Narges Mohammadi

As human rights advocate is treated in Tehran hospital after transfer from Zanjan prison, prize winners demand her freedom

More than 110 Nobel laureates have called for the immediate and unconditional release of Narges Mohammadi, the imprisoned Iranian human rights activist and Nobel peace prize laureate, after she was transferred to hospital amid concerns over her rapidly deteriorating health.

In a statement released on Tuesday, 112 Nobel laureates urged the Iranian authorities and the international community to act “without delay” to secure Mohammadi’s release and ensure her continued access to medical treatment.

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Sicily police investigate illegal race with horse-drawn carts and Kalashnikovs

Horses seized and several people questioned after animal rights activist shares video of race along country roads

A video showing an illegal horse race in Sicily, with spectators firing pistols into the air and brandishing Kalashnikov rifles, has prompted a police investigation that has led to the seizure of the animals.

The clip, reportedly filmed last Friday, shows two jockeys driving horse-drawn carts at breakneck speed along country roads in the town of Palagonia, near Catania, in eastern Sicily. Behind them, dozens of people follow on scooters, firing shots into the air. The footage was posted on social media by an animal rights activist named Enrico Rizzi.

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